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High number of false burglar alarms prompts discussion on cost recovery process

Matt_Harshberger.jpg

Pittsfield Township Director of Public Safety Matt Harshberger discusses a proposed ordinance change during a working session of the Pittsfield Township Board of Trustees.
(Tom Perkins | For The Ann Arbor News)

Per the township’s false alarm ordinance, Rave received two warnings and was fined $100 for each of the six subsequent alarms.

But Rave is hardly alone in piling up false alarm calls. Pittsfield Township Director of Public Safety Matt Harshberer said his department receives multiple false alarm calls daily, and that ties up police and fire personnel that could be something more productive with their time.

But the township makes sure to collect the fines that businesses and residents owe for tying up police.

To that end, at a June 11 work session, the Pittsfield Township Board of Trustees discussed amending its false alarm ordinance to give Harshberger the authority to hear and make decisions on appeals to fines without board approval. Previously, the board voted on whether to waive fines, and those requests regularly show up on board agendas.

If the update is approved at a future meeting, the process for collecting fines and resolving disputes will be expedited. Even with the $100 fine for each false alarm call after two warnings, some businesses have let the calls continue and neglect to pay the fees, and some owe on tickets from over four years ago.

“There are some businesses that have not paid in a while and we’ve been trying to collect fees and work with businesses to get them to pay what they owe,” Harshberger said. “Still, there are some who continue to get false alarm calls and have problems with their systems, and we need to get those fixed so they don’t use police resources.”

At the board’s May 28 meeting, Harshberger requested Rave Cinema only pay $400 in fines because it had switched owners while it was having problems with its alarm system throughout the year. The new owners worked to resolve the problem, so a break was granted by the board at Harshberger’s recommendation.

The update to the ordinance simply streamlines the process for collecting fees, but it highlights what Harshberger said is a serious issue.

“False alarms are major problem for police and fire and - they’re not a wasted resource - but they are resources that can be used more efficiently for other matters that are legitimate,” Harshberger said.

A false alarm at a home requires one to two officers, while a business can require the attention of up to four officers, he said.

What’s most frustrating to officials is that the false alarms are usually triggered by a malfunction that a business owner or homeowner could easily correct with the help of the alarm company, but they choose not to do so.

Harshberger said false alarms were especially an issue during the economic downturn when businesses couldn’t pay or afford to fix their alarm system.

Under the proposed changes, Harshberger would have the ability to make decisions on appeals of up to $5,000. While it's rare for a business to owe that much, the ordinance also covers fire recovery costs and hazardous materials cleanup costs. Those items can be costly but aren't appealed as regularly.